Freezer Seeds

So here I am, rooting around in the freezer on this cold January day, and what do I find but a baggie full of last summer’s tomato seeds. What a wake up call…it’s been a full year since we planted similar seeds in little cow pots under the grow lights!

2009 lessons learned:

1. Don’t plant so early. I still have mental images of us outside, frantically covering the little baby tomato plants with everything we could find (and yes, ‘everything’ included the ugliest bed sheets on the planet, much to the hilarity of our neighborhood).

2. Don’t plant so much. Convinced only a few seedlings would emerge I stuffed multiple seeds into multiple little pots packed into multiple trays…and yes, you guessed it, almost every darn plant germinated. Thus we were left with way too many plants (“are you sure tomatoes have to have so much space in between?”)

3. Leave more space. Again, my gardening enthusiasm got the best of me and I put too many plants too close together to the detriment of all. Don’t get me wrong…we had a sizable harvest, and for the first time, actually preserved some of our own produce. But many of the plants were too close to really stretch out and flourish.

So…how will I apply what my garden taught to my life in this New Year?

1. Don’t plant so early. I’m always too anxious in early January to set my course for the year…I tend to volunteer for things that later turn out to be just a little off, I buy into programs that later are disappointing, etc. In 2010, I’m striving to wait…move slowly…let things come to me rather than chase them down in a full-out tackle.

2. Don’t plant so much. Think of the terms ‘less’, ‘fewer’, ‘subtract’ and you’ll get the drift. I’m going to concentrate on doing fewer things well rather than taking on activities in multiple dimensions and cutting my productivity in the process.

3. Leave more space. I’ve been guilty of ‘square foot living’ (all you gardeners out there know what I talking about)…how much can I cram into how little space or time in hopes of large production? I’m moving away from busyness to see what emerges when I don’t over-commit. I’m learning to say ‘no’…and mean it.

Best wishes to all as we enter this new decade. And good luck with whatever plans you have for the New Year!

January 6th, 2010 - Posted in Gardening and Life | |

Leave a reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.